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W Innes Addison

Biography of W Innes Addison

W Innes Addison

William Innes Addison (1857-1912) was a University administrator who became Registrar in 1911. He published four important books on the history of the University and its students.

Born near Brechin, Addison left school at fourteen to become an articled apprentice to a local firm of solicitors. He went on to study Law at the University of Edinburgh, joining a legal firm in the capital in 1875 and then moving to Glasgow in 1879. He attended some classes at the University, and in 1887 was engaged as Assistant Clerk of Senate. He held the post, and that of Registrar of the General Council (from 1905) until was appointed Registrar in 1911.

Addison was highly praised by his contemporaries as a first-class administrator, and participated fully in the life and activities of the University. He wrote in Who's Who that his recreations were "editing, indexing and annotating University records", and the published results have provided historians with a treasure trove of information about the history of the University and the lives and careers of its students. A Roll of the Graduates of the University of Glasgow from 31 December 1727 to 31 December 1897, with short Biographical Notes was published in 1898; The Snell Exhibitions from the University of Glasgow to Balliol College, Oxford appeared in 1901; Prizes Lists of the University of Glasgow from Session 1777-1778 to Session 1832-1833 was published the following year and The Matriculation Albums of the University of Glasgow from 1728 to 1858, Transcribed and Annotated was published in 1913. He was also responsible for compiling prize lists, indexing class catalogues and collecting statistics which have provided valuable information to the University administrators who succeeded him.